Isaiah 8:4

2 And I will appoint for Myself trustworthy witnesses—Uriah the priest and Zechariah son of Jeberekiah.”

3 And I had relations with the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. The LORD said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz.

For before the boy knows how to cry ‘Father’ or ‘Mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”

5 And the LORD spoke to me further:

6 “Because this people has rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoiced in Rezin and the son of Remaliah,

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
For before the boy knows how to cry ‘Father’ or ‘Mother,’ the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria.”
KJV
For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
WEB
For before the child knows how to say, ‘My father’ and ‘My mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria will be carried away by the king of Assyria.”
ASV
For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and, My mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be carried away before the king of Assyria.
DARBY
For before the lad knoweth to cry, My father! and, My mother! the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.
BLB
for before the child knows to cry, ‘My father and My mother,’ one will lift away the wealth of Damascus and the plunder of Samaria before the face of the king of Assyria!”
ÅB
For før gutten skjønner å rope far og mor, skal de bære rikdommene i Damaskus og byttet fra Samaria fram for Assurs konge.
OTB
For før barnet vet å si ‘Min far’ eller ‘Min mor’, skal rikdommene i Damaskus og byttet fra Samaria bli tatt bort av kongen av Assyria.»
B1930
For før gutten skjønner å rope far og mor, skal de bære rikdommene i Damaskus og byttet fra Samaria frem for Assurs konge.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Romans 9:11

    Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand,

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 17:3

    Shalmaneser king of Assyria attacked him, and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 16:9

    So the king of Assyria responded to him, marched up to Damascus, and captured it. He took its people to Kir as captives and put Rezin to death.

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 10:6–14

    I will send him against a godless nation; I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage, to take spoils and seize plunder, and to trample them down like clay in the streets.

    Read in context
  • 2 Kings 17:5–6

    Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole land, marched up to Samaria, and besieged it for three years.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 1:39

    And the little ones you said would become captives—your children who on that day did not know good from evil—will enter the land that I will give them, and they will possess it.

    Read in context
  • Jonah 4:11

    So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?”

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 7:8–9

    For the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered as a people.

    Read in context